de Vlamingh 1696

Why the Netherlands didn’t colonise the south land

Although
the Dutch East India Company mapped much of Australia’s coastline by 1644, several factors deterred them from colonising this new land. A succession
of Dutch mariners had reported a lack of safe harbours, little fresh water, poor soil and many hazardous reefs along its coast. Equally, they
reported that there were little or no trading opportunities.

The company was initially interested in trading commodities, rather than being involved in agriculture or mining. Developing agriculture or
mining interests was not in the company's charter. However, despite the negative reports, curiosity grew over the years as the unknown
southern land began taking shape on the world map. The last Dutch mariner to provide any real evidence of the region’s potential was Willem
de Vlamingh. On instructions to assess the land’s agricultural potential, he visited Western Australia between December 1696 and February 1697.

During his time on the west coast, Vlamingh explored Rottnest Island and the mainland in and around the Swan River together with several areas
of interest that lay north along the coast. He also visited Dirk Hartog Island, where he replaced the pewter plate that Hartog had erected
some 80 years earlier. Vlamingh’s observations of the country further confirmed the negative reports of his predecessors. It was a view
that would be expressed again by English explorer William Dampier when he visited the North West just two years later in 1699, and again by
the French and other British explorers 100 years after that.